Makes 13-15 sticky buns
Ingredients
Dough:
– 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
– 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
– 1/3 cup sugar
– 3/4 buttermilk
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for greasing
– 2 large eggs
– 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
Filling:
– 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 1 teaspoon graded orange zest
Topping:
– 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 3 tablespoons honey
– 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
Directions
1. Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes
Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, eggs, salt and 3 cups flour. Mix on low speed until blended.
Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low speed, slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour
Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding a little more flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat with the butter from the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or 2 hours if not in an entirely warm place)
After the dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.
2. Make the filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.
3. Roll out the dough: Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll into a cylinder, make crosswise cuts. Roll dough out into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch slices (about 13 buns)
4. Make the topping: In a 1 quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan and sprinkle pecans on top.
5. Place dough rounds, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving room for the buns to rise and refrigerate overnight.
6. Bake: Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the oven pre-heats. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and immediately (and carefully as not to spill hot topping on your toes!) invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.
Hilary's Table 